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Post by Jolly on May 12, 2022 22:32:41 GMT
There are some skills and occupations out there where you can make anything from side money to a full-time business, that are extremely niche driven.
Since I was in a music store today, I thought about one...How many people do you know that can repair band instruments? Flutes, saxophones, trumpets, trombones and tubas? Good instruments aren't cheap and the bigger the local schools, usually the bigger the bands.
I know an old man in the community who has a small shop at his home, who is still working on instruments in his late 70's and he never lacks for work. Parts are inexpensive, labor is not. For example, a set of flute pads is less than $10, but a pad job would be at least $150. More if the instrument tech is working on a professional instrument.
People are paying him for his skill.
So...what niche jobs can you think of that can make a living or good side money for a working person or retiree?
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Post by Ozarks Tom on May 13, 2022 1:36:42 GMT
I've always thought part-time knife and scissor sharpening would be a good gig. I believe Joebill did that for a while and could probably tell us more. My thought was a van with signage parked at maybe hardware of feed stores on a regular schedule would develop a clientele over time.
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Post by sawmilljim on May 13, 2022 14:13:13 GMT
I've always thought part-time knife and scissor sharpening would be a good gig. I believe Joebill did that for a while and could probably tell us more. My thought was a van with signage parked at maybe hardware of feed stores on a regular schedule would develop a clientele over time. Those were the days. In today’s world you would need a business license, city sticker for the van ten million dollar insurance policy incase for someone cut their finger on your just sharpened knife. I read that in the US nowadays they have 99,000 different permits. You should only need half that amount to operate a small business legally.
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Post by Jolly on May 13, 2022 14:17:11 GMT
Thought of another...
There's a black gentleman who works in housekeeping at the little rural hospital where I do some PRN. And I use that word "gentleman" in the highest regard. Mr. Burk is just good people.
He's a couple of years shy of Social Security, so we were talking retirement one day...Anyway, one thing led to another and he started talking about his business. He works at the hospital for health insurance more than for the money. He actually makes more money in his shop at home.
Mr. Burk is a caner. He does a lot of refinish and recaning work on old furniture...Not the factory caning crap that is so obvious, but the old-time authentic woven strands. His grandfather taught him how to do it. His grandfather also taught him how to finish and refinish fine furniture.
Since then, I've seen some of his work. He's pretty durn good...
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Post by wildhorseluvr on May 13, 2022 14:27:27 GMT
When this was posted yesterday, the first thing I thought of was a knife and scissors sharpening business but Tom beat me to it.
A slight rabbit trail but still on the same topic…which jobs would be likely to last the longest in a SHTF situation (or at least during the downward spiral)? Perhaps food industry and health care?
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Post by wildhorseluvr on May 13, 2022 14:36:13 GMT
Jolly, that’s interesting about Mr Burk and his caning skills. Must be more of a regional thing though,you don’t see much of that around here.
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Post by Jolly on May 13, 2022 20:06:50 GMT
Jolly , that’s interesting about Mr Burk and his caning skills. Must be more of a regional thing though,you don’t see much of that around here. You don't see much of it anywhere. But if you need a hand caned seat or back...
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Post by farmrbrown on May 13, 2022 21:26:44 GMT
Along the same line, at one time I wanted to set up a little CNC 3D mill in a workshop and repair high end/antique/museum type furniture but with high tech tools instead of chisels, saws and knives. If the pieces were expensive enough you wouldn't have to do very many each year to have some "play money". Scan the intricate design with the CAD/CAM, pick out a nice piece of matching wood, metal, stone etc., fire up the machine and let her rip. You might even get requests for some reproductions for those who want to look like they're Billionaires, lol.
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Post by paisley2 on May 13, 2022 22:57:00 GMT
I've always thought part-time knife and scissor sharpening would be a good gig. I believe Joebill did that for a while and could probably tell us more. My thought was a van with signage parked at maybe hardware of feed stores on a regular schedule would develop a clientele over time. 3 different guys compete for sharing tools, knives and chains. One is a shop only...ok it is a shed! The others travel. One announces on the radio on the local event& tradio show which parking lot he will be at.
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Post by Ozarks Tom on May 13, 2022 23:44:19 GMT
I've mentioned this little abnormality before, but at the intersection of a two lane 60mph North/South highway heading towards Branson from Springfield, and an even smaller two lane (no shoulders) blacktop, there's a coffee trailer. Well, it's in the parking lot of a very small feed store, and not there on Sundays or Mondays, but whenever I pass by it has two or three cars lined up and their drive-past window.
I've no idea what they charge, probably somewhere between home and Starbucks, but to think that such an out of the way location could do a business like that astounds me. I mean, the little blacktop is the main route for tons of small homesteads and farms, but doggone, are those rural folks really that high-dollar coffee? Apparently the are.
I asked Doug, the owner of the feed store what his cut was. He looked down at the floor, and mumbled "nothing, he's a nephew".
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Post by daw on May 14, 2022 0:17:43 GMT
I would think as popular BBQ is if you had a real touch at making the best..a cart by the side of a busy road would supply a lot meals for those who don't take time to cook.. Somewhere I was you could order pizza they fixed it for you and put it in a box. When you got home it would be put in the oven and baked for as long as you wished
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Post by Jolly on May 14, 2022 3:01:24 GMT
The only problem with food is competition, unless you are a lot better than your competitors. Seems like half the world has a food truck nowadays.
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Post by fixitguy on May 14, 2022 3:16:05 GMT
That's a bit of a loaded question. It all depends on your forte and location for the needed service. In my golden years, I'm planning on making custom upholstery, mainly boat stuff.
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Post by BrewDaddy on May 14, 2022 3:24:14 GMT
That's a bit of a loaded question. It all depends on your forte and location for the needed service. In my golden years, I'm planning on making custom upholstery, mainly boat stuff. My neighbor's (the one's that gave me the sink thing I'm using as a greens planter) wife does various upholstery type stuff. Re-did the top of their cabin cruiser, re-did all the internal stuff, made a couple nice front end covers for folks with 5th wheels to take advantage of that potential storage space. She's very good.... Her hubz is also quite the handyman.... if these two got the word out they could do pretty well I think. bd
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Post by Jolly on May 14, 2022 13:26:16 GMT
That's a bit of a loaded question. It all depends on your forte and location for the needed service. In my golden years, I'm planning on making custom upholstery, mainly boat stuff. Not too loaded. 😊 It presupposes doing something that doesn't require hard physical labor and something an older person could do as a second career or a part-time gig. I'll give you an example, but it depends on having a specific skill...The wife got a call from the local funeral home, hunting somebody to play for funerals held in their chapel. They have a list of a few pianists, as nobody does this full-time, but one of their older ladies had had an accident and probably wasn't coming back. They needed somebody else for the list with flexible hours. My wife said okay, after hearing what they wanted. It's $50/funeral and is far from steady income. I've seen her go two weeks without a call. Recently, she did four services in five days. Looks like it's going to average out at 3 a month, maybe 4. Between setting up and playing for the service, it takes about an hour, maybe a little less, of on-site time. It ain't a living, but $150-$200 a month with no outlay is sure welcome. 😊
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